Broke bolt while installing rear strut bar!?
03-15-2003 | 02:46 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Broke bolt while installing rear strut bar!?
My torque wrench must be broken too. I was tightening the last nut after installing my wagon rear strut bar and the bolt broke right off! This is one of the three bolts on top of the strut that connects to the strut bar. I set the torque wrench to 15 and was not meeting any significant resistance or hearing any clicking when it broke.
Questions:
How do I fix it? Do I have to take the whole strut out and work from below?
Can I drive the car now till I can fix it or am I risking more serious damage?
Questions:
How do I fix it? Do I have to take the whole strut out and work from below?
Can I drive the car now till I can fix it or am I risking more serious damage?
03-15-2003 | 11:28 PM
#3
Registered User
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 54
From: San Jose, CA
Car Info: '02 WRX Wagon and a '04 Miata
Don't worry too much about it.. Same thing happened to me as well; the bolts on the strut top are really weak...
To answer your questions:
1. You need a new strut top mount. I belive the part number for left one is 20370AC251 (read this off the invoice). I really didn't want to mess with it anymore so I got the work done at the dealership. Paid $71 for the part and installation was 1.5 hours of labor.
2. I was told by the dealer that it's OK to drive. Just don't lift the wheel. Car's weight is holding the assembly in place. While waiting for the part to arrive, I drove for ~ 2 weeks w/o any problems..
Good luck!
To answer your questions:
1. You need a new strut top mount. I belive the part number for left one is 20370AC251 (read this off the invoice). I really didn't want to mess with it anymore so I got the work done at the dealership. Paid $71 for the part and installation was 1.5 hours of labor.
2. I was told by the dealer that it's OK to drive. Just don't lift the wheel. Car's weight is holding the assembly in place. While waiting for the part to arrive, I drove for ~ 2 weeks w/o any problems..
Good luck!
03-18-2003 | 03:57 PM
#5
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,644
From: Lawrence, Kansas
Car Info: 19' Impreza Sport Manual / 99 Miata / 13' OB
Just a repost to my answer when you posted it on Scoobymods in case someone else has the same problem:
---------------
You're not the first or tenth person that has had this happen. I helped a local guy fix his when he did the exact same thing. You will have to remove the whole strut. You won't have to take the spring off though. The stud that broke is splined and pressed in the hat. Once the strut is removed you can get the broken stud out by hitting it from the broken side w/ a drift pin or something similar (10 penny nail?). It will pop out. Since you have a wagon, you may be able to do this while the strut is installed. It will make things a lot easier. If you can get to the top and have enough clearance just knock out the broken stud before you remove it. Doing this while the strut is out can be tricky. You'll need a helper to hold the strut while you get the broken stud out.
Once the stud is out you'll need to replace it with something. What I did was this. I went to the local hardware store and got a bolt and nut that was around the same length as the stud. Get a self locking nut if you can. The trick is to have the bolt held in place long enough to be able to install the strut and put the nut on. Either you can use some JB weld and glue the bolt on the hat (getto but it works) or have someone tack weld the bolt in place. Either way, when securing the bolt, put the nut on to make sure the bolt sits in the proper position. I guess in a pinch instead of securing the bolt in any way, you could have a helper hold the bolt on the bottom while you tighten it from the top.
Here are some tips on removing the strut itself. Soak the bottom bolts (the big ones) overnight w/ some liquid wrench, they are buggers to get off. Next, before you remove the strut mark it's position w/ a sharpie or something at the bottom by the bolts. The rear isn't adjustable so you won't need an alignment but there is a little wiggle room in there.
As far as the brake line, it goes though the strut on a tab. When you remove the clip you'll see that you can't slide the line out. You'll either have to remove one end from the caliper or cut the tab and bend it back to slide out the line. It's a lot easier to cut the tab. Look here for more info on that:
http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/sh...?s=&threadid=36
If you opt for removing the line from the caliper keep in mind you'll have to bleed the brakes AND replace the copper washer under the banjo bolt that holds the line to the caliper. These are not supposed to be reusable. You may be tempted to reuse it and it may be fine but if it were me I wouldn't chance it.
Any other questions feel free to e-mail me direct.
Cheeze@sunflower.com
Peaty
If you want to do it the hard way though you will have to replace the whole top hat. You can't just get one of he studs they don't sell them only the hats. The hats go about 80 bucks each. And if you do that you will need to remove the spring and all. More trouble than it's worth IMHO.
Another thing, pay close attention to the orientation of the hat when you remove the strut, it goes back the same way, if not you could get some clunking noises. I say mark it somehow w/ an arrow as soon as you remove it.
---------------
You're not the first or tenth person that has had this happen. I helped a local guy fix his when he did the exact same thing. You will have to remove the whole strut. You won't have to take the spring off though. The stud that broke is splined and pressed in the hat. Once the strut is removed you can get the broken stud out by hitting it from the broken side w/ a drift pin or something similar (10 penny nail?). It will pop out. Since you have a wagon, you may be able to do this while the strut is installed. It will make things a lot easier. If you can get to the top and have enough clearance just knock out the broken stud before you remove it. Doing this while the strut is out can be tricky. You'll need a helper to hold the strut while you get the broken stud out.
Once the stud is out you'll need to replace it with something. What I did was this. I went to the local hardware store and got a bolt and nut that was around the same length as the stud. Get a self locking nut if you can. The trick is to have the bolt held in place long enough to be able to install the strut and put the nut on. Either you can use some JB weld and glue the bolt on the hat (getto but it works) or have someone tack weld the bolt in place. Either way, when securing the bolt, put the nut on to make sure the bolt sits in the proper position. I guess in a pinch instead of securing the bolt in any way, you could have a helper hold the bolt on the bottom while you tighten it from the top.
Here are some tips on removing the strut itself. Soak the bottom bolts (the big ones) overnight w/ some liquid wrench, they are buggers to get off. Next, before you remove the strut mark it's position w/ a sharpie or something at the bottom by the bolts. The rear isn't adjustable so you won't need an alignment but there is a little wiggle room in there.
As far as the brake line, it goes though the strut on a tab. When you remove the clip you'll see that you can't slide the line out. You'll either have to remove one end from the caliper or cut the tab and bend it back to slide out the line. It's a lot easier to cut the tab. Look here for more info on that:
http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/sh...?s=&threadid=36
If you opt for removing the line from the caliper keep in mind you'll have to bleed the brakes AND replace the copper washer under the banjo bolt that holds the line to the caliper. These are not supposed to be reusable. You may be tempted to reuse it and it may be fine but if it were me I wouldn't chance it.
Any other questions feel free to e-mail me direct.
Cheeze@sunflower.com
Peaty
If you want to do it the hard way though you will have to replace the whole top hat. You can't just get one of he studs they don't sell them only the hats. The hats go about 80 bucks each. And if you do that you will need to remove the spring and all. More trouble than it's worth IMHO.
Another thing, pay close attention to the orientation of the hat when you remove the strut, it goes back the same way, if not you could get some clunking noises. I say mark it somehow w/ an arrow as soon as you remove it.
03-19-2003 | 05:54 AM
#7
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,644
From: Lawrence, Kansas
Car Info: 19' Impreza Sport Manual / 99 Miata / 13' OB
Thanks, I know how frustrating it can be when something like that happens. The thing is it's so common with our cars 
I think the bolts are made out of paper mache.
I think the bolts are made out of paper mache.
03-21-2003 | 01:22 PM
#9
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,644
From: Lawrence, Kansas
Car Info: 19' Impreza Sport Manual / 99 Miata / 13' OB
FWIW - if you have two of the bolts left I wouldn't worry about driving the car. As long as you don't launch the car in the air and take all the car's weight off of the springs, you should be fine. There is a lot more force holding the hat in place w/ the car's weight on it than the three bolts contribute to.
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